2023 OCCAC Softball News
Four different schools are represented in the OCCAC weekly honors for Feb. 26-March 3.
The inaugural OCCAC Student-Athlete Leadership Conference was hosted by Cuyahoga Community College earlier this month. Student-athletes from around the conference gathered for a day full of opportunities to elevate their leadership skills. In total, more than 45 student-athletes, coaches and administrators from across the state listened to speakers on a multitude of topics.
Owens Community College Athletics has earned the 2022-23 OCCAC All-Sports Award, its eighth such accolade all-time, on the strength of three league championships this past season. The Express finished as runner-up in 2021-22 after claiming the top spot in seven of the previous 10 seasons.
All nine league institutions are represented in the OCCAC All-Academic accolades for Spring 2023. Honored student-athletes achieved a 3.30 GPA with 12 completed credit hours during the spring semester.
Twenty-two softball students-athletes representing six schools received all-conference recognition from the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference, including the league’s Player of the Year, Brooklyn Gramse (Bryant & Stratton), Pitcher of the Year, Grace Shaffer (Edison State), and Gold Glove winner Kristen Stromack (Hocking).
First-time honorees, Skyler Kries (Cuyahoga) and Ethan Hyme (Bryant & Stratton, OH), secured the OCCAC’s final weekly baseball honors while Edison State’s Grace Shaffer and Hanna DeLong ran their combined career total to nine awards.
Matthew Blanchard (Bryant & Stratton, OH) and Noah Curi (Clark State) combined to surrender just five baserunners (four walks, one hit) while striking out 17 batters in a pair of dazzling starts worthy of OCCAC co-Pitcher of the Week recognition.
Three representatives from Cuyahoga—Maddie Brockman, Carter Gast and Sloan Ulrich—are joined by Owens’ Khloey Hutton as this week’s OCCAC Athletes of the Week.
Four different schools are represented in this week’s OCCAC honors. Anna Quinn (Edison State) and Cecilia Stephens (Cuyahoga) maintained their respective teams’ stronghold on the weekly softball accolades while Noah Brite (Bryant & Stratton) and Breven Deckrosh (Owens) put forth exceptional performances on the baseball diamond.
Carter Blakeman shined bright this week in key moments for Cuyahoga Baseball, earning himself OCCAC Position Player of the Week. Noah Blank (Owens) and Edison State’s Grace Shaffer and Hanna DeLong secured the other weekly awards, all repeat winners.
Three Cuyahoga representative are joined by Edison State’s Luke Brockman (Baseball Position Player of the Week) as this week’s spring sport athletes of the week. Olivia Lopez (position player) and Hallie Mullett (pitcher) earned the softball laurels while Ty Pangborn’s no-hit effort attracted Baseball Pitcher of the Week recognition.
Grace Shaffer remains the OCCAC Pitcher of the Week and is joined by a different Edison State teammate, Audrey Fyffe, this time around as the Position Player of the Week for this season’s second presentation of weekly awards. Owens representatives Kolson Egnor and Wilson Stopera are this week’s baseball honorees.
For the second year in a row, Edison State’s Grace Shaffer has opened the season by being named the OCCAC Pitcher of the Week. It marks her third career award, and she is joined this week by teammate Kaela May, classmate Andrew Year and Cullen McFarland of Owens Baseball as the conference’s first honorees of 2023.
Grades are finalized and it is time to announce the OCCAC Academic All-Conference honorees for the fall semester. A 3.30 GPA or higher while completing at least 12 credit hours during the semester is required to earn the laurel.
Five student-athletes representing three different conferences schools were named the OCCAC Players and Pitchers of the Week for March 20-26.